Washington, D.C. Nina Rees, president and CEO of the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, released the following statement regarding the Southern Poverty Law Centers lawsuit against Mississippi’s charter public school students:
“We are deeply disappointed that the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) is trying to substitute its own judgment about what is best over the decisions of families who have made very personal choices on behalf of their children. The SPLC’s complaint is designed to protect the existing and deeply flawed system and take away new, high-quality public school options from low-income students in Mississippi. SPLC clearly prefers forcing students to stay in failing schools rather than having the freedom to attend a better school.
“In almost all similar cases across the country, state courts have upheld the constitutionality of charter public school laws.
“In the months ahead, we plan to work side by side with our partners in Mississippi to defend the states strong charter public school law and ensure that the states low-income students have access to a growing number of high-quality public school options.”
About Charter Public Schools
Charter public schools are independent, public, and tuition-free schools that are given the freedom to be more innovative while being held accountable for advancing student achievement. Since 2010, many research studies have found that students in charter schools do better in school than their traditional school peers. For example, one study by the Center for Research on Education Outcomes at Stanford University found that charter schools do a better job teaching low income students, minority students, and students who are still learning English than traditional schools. Separate studies by the Center on Reinventing Public Education and Mathematica Policy Research have found that charter school students are more likely to graduate from high school, go on to college, stay in college and have higher earnings in early adulthood.
About the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools
The National Alliance for Public Charter Schools is the leading national nonprofit organization committed to advancing the public charter school movement. Our mission is to lead public education to unprecedented levels of academic achievement by fostering a strong charter sector. For more information, please visit www.publiccharters.org
